Please Critique..help Tips?
Decorating By smcintosh2801 Updated 24 Apr 2007 , 6:22pm by CakesbyMonica
Hello All! I love this site and all of you who provide information and assistance. I made my first cake. I haven't had any decorating exp, except for info on CC!
Please critique this cake with pointers, ways to improve and any tips that I could learn from. I was not at all happy w/ the writing or smoothness of the cake. I AM ALL FOR CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM!
This cake is a 11x15, FBCT. Please tell me what approp pricing range should be.. I was going to sell it for $20, my DH was like, "No way! $35 at least." I ended up keeping it because I wasn't too sat with it..
Cake decorating has become a recent passion of mine and I am praying that with Gods help I will improve & blossom in my passion!
Thanks!
Stacy
very cute! The FBCT is really good. The smoothness of the icing comes with practice. Writing for me is hard! I can never do it freehand, it's crooked and off-centered. Lately, I cut my letters from fondant with alphabet cutters. Otherwise, that just takes practice too! Definetaly keep at it!
Hi Stacy - your first cake looks great! Especially your first FBCT! Your Easter bunny looks so cheerful 
I am still a newbie too - I just really felt for some reason back in the fall that I should be taking cake decorating classes, and I have really enjoyed it so far.
Although I thought your writing looked just fine to me, if you're concerned, I would say hang in there and keep practicing. I still get nervous when I have to write on my cakes. It helps me to print out a font that I like and have it in front of me when I'm writing on the cake. As far as the smoothness, I would say Melvira method all the way! Melvira has been a lifesaver in this area. She uses a dense foam roller to lightly smooth the cake after the buttercream has crusted. I love this technique and use it all the time.
Also, don't sell yourself short! An 11X15 cake is a big cake! You should take in to account your supplies, plus your time involved in decorating. I normally charge $30 for a 9x13 sheet cake or an 8" round cake, and people have no problem paying that because my cakes are customized to their liking, and they like how they taste. If they like my cakes now, I can only imagine how much more requests I'll get with some experience under my belt.
Keep up the great work!
That cake is cute!! Your FBCT turned out wonderful!
I think the top of the cake looks very smooth and the wirting definitely gets better with practice. A tip I picked up is do a first layer of the writing in the colour of the background and then cover over that in the colour of the letters. This ensures that if you screw up the first time it is easy to fix since the colours match!! And tracing existing writing is easier.
The only thing that looks off to me is the borders. They seems a little inconsistent in size. But that just takes practice practice practice!
Very good job! 
A tip I picked up is do a first layer of the writing in the colour of the background and then cover over that in the colour of the letters. This ensures that if you screw up the first time it is easy to fix since the colours match!! And tracing existing writing is easier.
great tip! I never thought of that. I'll have to try that myself next time 
I like it, and from what I can tell looks very smooth. Congrats on your first cake. I haven't gotten up the courage (or time) to do a FBCT, so I applaud you on that. The only thing that looks off to me is the colors going together. But, thats just my opinion.
My neighbors house is red and white striped wallpaper with floral patterned white carpet and a BRIGHT blue & green kitchen (walls, counters, everything!), but she LOVES it. It's all personal taste is all I'm saying.
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